Unsung heroes and heroines in the Nuneaton area have been honoured for their care and compassion in the community.

Television presenter Philippa Forrester took the stage to host the fourth annual Diamond Awards ceremony and declared: "You're all diamonds".

The awards are designed to recognise teams and individuals across Warwickshire in social services who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their working routine.

This year saw 17 awards presented, with many going to people in Nuneaton, Bedworth and north Warwickshire.

Among those recognised with a special award was Nuneatonbased Chris Mountford, for his work in leading by example for many years in the critical front-line service area of "emergency duty" care.

His citation said: "Emerg-encies are not a 9-5 thing - and handling those emergencies needs leadership and plan-ning." The Freeway Centre in Nun-eaton received a social inclusion award for its work on a project enabling people with learning disabilities to live, work, learn and socialise within their local communities.

"This has taken an absolute commitment from the team," says the citation. "They made creative use of existing resources to develop projects, really making a difference to people's lives."

Ikraamul Haque, the co-ordinator of the Edward Street Day Centre project in Nuneaton, was also presented with a customer focus award for his work over the last seven years, ensuring the centre best meets the needs of the local community.

His citation reads: "Ikraamul was praised for making people who were previously very nervous, depressed and feeling isolated now feel as if they have been brought into the fold, recognised as individuals with skills and who need to be accorded full comfort and respect."

Marion Davis, Warwickshire's director of social care, said: "There are hundreds of people working in Warwickshire social services who deserve awards each and every day.

"These awards are a way of raising the profile of just some of the teams and individuals with social services who go that extra mile."

Other presentations included a Customer Focus Award to the kitchen staff at Orchard Blythe Home for Elderly People, in Coleshill; an Innovation Award to North Warwickshire Children and Family Services Team; a Partnership Award to Nuneatonbased senior driver Wyatt West and an Innovation Award to the Bedworth Home Care Team.